2019 LuxePack NYC 
In Green Award Winner

“We did not become the greenest paper coating company in the world because it was easy. We did it because it was the right thing to do.”

At Ecological Fibers we continue to dedicate ourselves to setting the highest example of ecological stewardship in our industry. When you choose to incorporate Ecological Fibers’ materials into your projects, you are not only choosing a quality product, you are choosing a way of life and a partnership dedicated to ensuring that your resources go towards the preservation of our planet for generations to come.

Since inception in 1972, Ecological Fibers has paved the way towards enhancing environmental regulation and innovation. In an industry that has been historically plagued with less than desirable work conditions, founder Stephen Quill set out to not only change the way that his company was to be run, but to lead the charge towards developing successful business initiatives that work hand-in-hand with ecological stewardship.

“We have a responsibility to the world, the country, future generations. That’s a driving force for our business. All of our employees care about that and want to make that better. Ecological has always been at the forefront of that positive change.”

– John Penatzer, Vice President of Operations

The 10 Commandments of Ecological Stewardship

Through the 40+ year history of Ecological Fibers, we have developed 10 internal guidelines which ensure that our pillars of success will forever be grounded in the founding principles that Stephen Quill set out to achieve all those years ago.

The health and safety of our customers, employees and the environment will never be overshadowed.

The Ecological Promise

Ecological Fibers does not incorporate any of the hazardous solvents or heavy metals historically found in coated coverings. We vow to refrain from using harsh chemicals in the production of any of our materials and instead employ coatings that are 100% water based and solvent free. As a result, our products contain no traces of PCB, PVB, or PVC; plastics and chemicals that have been known to have adverse effects on the health of humans, animals and the environment.

Our constant innovation and promise to enhance and improve our products, practices and methods ensure that we will continue on the path towards a greener, more ecologically friendly future for all.

Ecological” is more than a name, it represents moral values and our pledge to meet the highest standards of sustainability. As a global manufacturer and distributor, it is our responsibility to supply the highest quality covering materials to the book, stationery, packaging and security document industries, without compromising on our commitment to protecting the environment, and ensuring the health and safety of our most important assets: our customers and employees.

“I walk through a store with my wife and kids and I show them all of the products that we have been a part of. We’re doing something that’s difficult; we’re putting a water-based coating on products and not everybody can do that. I’m proud of that.”
-Dave Robbins, Senior Vice President of Sales

TAKING ON THE PLASTICS PROBLEM

According to the EPA, 91.3% of plastic is never recycled1 and is destined for landfills or being incinerated. This is a scary thought, especially considering that it is estimated that last year over 380 MILLION TONS of plastic were produced2. With numbers like these, it’s easy for us to picture items like empty bottles as being the culprit, but we often forget about materials such as film laminations and coatings which are a large contributor to this “plastic problem.” At Ecological Fibers, it has never been our policy to bypass an environmental issue that we could overcome with some hard work and ingenuity. From the start we have tackled these issues head on. We became the first to remove all solvents from our coatings. We built a custom in-house water treatment plant in our Rhode Island facility which cleans nearly 1.2 million gallons of water per day, and as you will read, we became the first producer of 100% organic, plastic-free coated materials.

100% ORGANIC, PLASTIC-FREE COATINGS
THE MOST ECO-FRIENDLY COATING EVER MADE

Each year more than 300 million tons of plastic is manufactured; with over half intended for single-use application. We all have been taught that recycling is the answer to plastic pollution, yet today less than 9% of plastic waste is ever recycled1, the remaining amounts being destined for incineration or landfills. 

Ecological Fibers prides itself on our business processes. Regarding the environment, we’ve never settled for the easy solution if it was detrimental to the earth. We have a proud list of “firsts” in our history: the first to remove solvents from our coatings, the first to become completely water-based, and the first to remove all harmful chemicals and heavy metals. In 2020, we added another “first”, we created the world’s first 100%, organic, plastic-free coating. 

Comprised completely of organic compounds, this revolutionary new coating contains zero petroleum-based ingredients making it truly plastic and petroleum free. Creating this coating was no easy task, requiring a substantial reworking of our coating process to make it possible. This means new machines, new processes and more, but it was worth it. 

We are proud to have achieved this accomplishment, and the delight we have when we see rolls of this product leaving our plants only reassures us that the difficult journey to get to this point was worth it. 

To learn more about our plastic-free offerings, click here.

ECOPRINT 7:  ENDING THE NEED FOR FILM LAMINATION IN BOOK JACKETS

EcoPrint 7 has taken the publishing world by storm. In it’s brief history it has become a sought-after material for book jackets due to the fact that it requires zero film lamination to properly protect the books that it covers.

For decades, the only suitable option for book jackets was to laminate the paper stock, thereby making the jacket and all the excess materials from its production unrecyclable, destining it for incineration or landfills. 

Providing a material that does not need this step not only removes the use of these additional plastics from the production process, it also stream lines the supply chain by removing an entire component which not only lowers the cost, but lowers the carbon footprint created by the finished piece. One less material means less energy used in its production, transportation, and application of it.  Ecological Fibers has set an initial goal of helping prevent 20 million square feet of plastic film from being used for book jackets. This lofty goal will be a major step forward for the publishing community and will no doubt become a milestone for the environmental stewardship success story that is Ecological Fibers. 

For more information on EcoPrint™ 7, and our goal of removing 20 Million Sq. Feet of plastic from the industry, click here

Green From Start to Finish

Our environmentally-conscious efforts allow us to continue developing ecologically friendly manufacturing practices with no required oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Our signature Rainbow® papers maintain an FSC Certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), ensuring that the paper used in our manufacturing process conforms to strict FSC forest harvesting guidelines and prevents the use of illegally harvested pulp. FSC regulations also ensure that the harvesting of virgin wood fibers collected for use in Ecological Fibers’ products are gathered from sustainable, responsibly sourced forestry harvesting locations, and comply with the Lacey Act and EUTR Logging regulations.

These freshly sourced raw materials generally result in stronger, more reliable paper than recycled products, and ensure that we maintain environmentally sound production from start to finish.

Regardless of whether you choose to use our recycled or responsibly sourced virgin fibers in your projects, rest assured that if you are using Ecological Fibers, you are working with the highest quality and most responsibly sourced materials available.

“We want to be proud of what we do. You don’t want to look back and wish you’d done something differently. It was our goal to make the cleanest covering materials in the world, and that’s what we’re doing.”
– Dave Robbins, Senior Vice President of Sales